tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post5602885908370427820..comments2024-03-29T05:08:37.783-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Record label whose name derives from Greek myth / THU 11-10-16 / Grandpa Walton portrayer / Colorul corn balls / Old ship constellation / Fish whose name is calculator number turned upside-down / Chances left after Slim left town / Compound under control by Kyoto ProtocolRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87429957886448757712016-12-15T19:20:15.267-05:002016-12-15T19:20:15.267-05:00'Sokay, @LeftyTom, we've all been there, d...'Sokay, @LeftyTom, we've all been there, done that<br /><br />Lady DiDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64805926772303263862016-12-15T18:28:42.299-05:002016-12-15T18:28:42.299-05:00Never mind, I did misinterpret the clue. Is that a...Never mind, I did misinterpret the clue. Is that an excuse?<br /><br /> <br /><br />leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60556016623549786852016-12-15T18:22:26.565-05:002016-12-15T18:22:26.565-05:00Don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but t...Don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but the EEL not only has to be turned upside down vertically, but it also has to be flipped horizontally to reverse the order of its letters. <br /><br />No excuses (if I've misinterpreted it).leftcoasterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05033341194718217353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49566214368070175352016-12-15T17:48:36.209-05:002016-12-15T17:48:36.209-05:00The J hooks were fine but took too long to see,
so...The J hooks were fine but took too long to see,<br />so then I cheated a from A TO Z.<br /><br />No excuses.<br /><br /><br />leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46880575915622280902016-12-15T15:15:02.353-05:002016-12-15T15:15:02.353-05:00
This was not an easy puzzle, but a challenging, f...<br />This was not an easy puzzle, but a challenging, fun experience to work through. A very good week for puzzles.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52882776183904286642016-12-15T15:13:13.416-05:002016-12-15T15:13:13.416-05:00@Rainy - According to my sources, "brah"...@Rainy - According to my sources, "brah" is another form of "bro." Yah! I was thinking "Erin go bragh!" Sp?<br /><br />D,LIWDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16918125568609883592016-12-15T15:11:13.128-05:002016-12-15T15:11:13.128-05:00A grain assault made my day! Thanks for sharing!!...A grain assault made my day! Thanks for sharing!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04436805827682675113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15303207778252761152016-12-15T14:39:06.019-05:002016-12-15T14:39:06.019-05:00Nice puzzle which appears to be a blessing to many...Nice puzzle which appears to be a blessing to many of the real-timers 5 weeks ago. Also nice that @Chaos didn't show up. We've probably seen the last of him. <br /><br />The toughest part for me was the SW, but managed to get out without a w/o. The SE was a laydown only because ATOZ made sense to me. Many excellent artists have recorded on ELEKTRA. '<br /><br />Years ago I worked out the Pachelbel Canon on the guitar, and knew it had to be a major key (I played it in C), and since I had already written in RINGINGOFFTHE-, I saw the rebus. <br /><br />I liked many of the clues, especially the one about Slim leaving town, which reminded me of something a friend once noted: "Interesting that slim chance and fat chance mean the same thing". I don't think anyone explained why "brah" means MY MAN, but I can live with it.<br /><br />Phylicia RASHAD is OK as DOD or YB in my book. rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47186435657775068222016-12-15T13:39:36.556-05:002016-12-15T13:39:36.556-05:00Read Rex, then the beginning of LMS - thank goodne...Read Rex, then the beginning of LMS - thank goodness.<br /><br />NOT EASY. Just not.<br /><br />Looked up proper names after getting minor (not MAJOR) toehold.<br /><br />Got the "hook" pretty quickly, then. So 90% me, 10% puzzle. <br /><br />At least I have the love of a cat or two. <br /><br />I've heard of the dog days of August - is there really a Nat. Dog Day? I'll BYTE. <br /><br />And, darn it, Jay's place is a garage. A very large garage. Everyone knows that. <br /><br />And put me in the panCAKE crowd if there is one - haven't read the comments yet.<br /><br />So...to the comments. <br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for Crosswords.Diana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61670211617373616672016-12-15T12:52:18.840-05:002016-12-15T12:52:18.840-05:00Knew something was funny when the RK DMAJOR left 1...Knew something was funny when the RK DMAJOR left 18a ending in J. Almost nothing ends in J unless we’re going on a hadj, and that wasn’t it. So I worked out that first one and filled in the others way before the fill got me there. Found the SE easy, unlike other posters, but made a mess over in the SW with nSA and started to write in voLleys before realizing it didn’t fit the SALVOS squares, which was an ANNOYing inkfest.<br /><br />Early on in the puz and having MAGNETO in the grid, I immediately went to youtube to play “MAGNETO and Titanium Man” by McCartney and Wings. Their best song, IMHO, with a catchy J (hook). After twice through MAGNETO, the puz was done.<br /><br />If you’re into traffic engineering, especially out East, you might be familiar with “jughandle” or J-HOOK ramps. They are used to prevent left turns from the left lanes of at-grade intrsections.<br /><br />Anyone remember when Ahmad RASHAD (former MN Viking and former Bobby Moore) proposed to Phylicia on live TV? I do. During the height of Cosby Show fame. An easy call for yeah baby would be pop tart ARIANA Grande, but then there’s ELEKTRA as portrayed in the BAREST RACY red spandex by Jennifer Garner. A crimson dominaTRIX? Yeah baby. Did we notice that MAGNETO and ELEKTRA were symmetric? Maybe that was a start of another puz?<br /><br />Better than the usual rebusiness. ELEKTRA might be a real Crimson Dynamo as I head back for another spin through MYMAN Titanium and pal MAGNETO.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2960798139135481972016-12-15T12:28:43.155-05:002016-12-15T12:28:43.155-05:00Strange how OFL suddenly becomes forgiving of what...Strange how OFL suddenly becomes forgiving of what he calls "cheater squares." They never bothered me--but it bothers me that it DOESN'T bother HIM today. Jeff a buddy? Apparently. Of course, the black-square pattern is doubtless part of the theme, but still...<br /><br />My first thought when I saw the grid was about Tetris. Got out of the NW ok but the north central was almost a total unknown. I had GR going across, waiting for -AB or -ID, and GAIN and RUNG. That was it. Skipped over to the NE, where I waited again for the correct RMK: _M__OR. RMKs always evoke a wince here. As I filled in the corner, I thought it must be MinOR, since nothing ends in THEJ. But I never heard of an OSHI. I know OSHA, but didn't get the glove reference so still wasn't sure.<br /><br />Down to gimme AJAX (bum bum, the foaming cleanser, bum bum bumbabum bum bum, floats the dirt right down the drain! Bububububububum!)--where was I? Oh yeah. As soon as I read the clue for 29-across the fog lifted, a very nice aha! moment which solved the NE problem and jump-started a relatively easy solve.<br /><br />I wish there wasn't so much alphabet soup (NBC NBA FBI TSK TSA XYZ in addition to the NE), but still enjoyed doing this. The theme is inventive and well executed, and the black shapes a remarkable bonus. Phylicia RASHAD does very nicely for DOD. On balance, it's a birdie.<br /><br />P.S. To all those doomsday voices, I'll channel the Beach Boys:<br /><br />Don't worry baby, everything will be all right.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16330514307139208572016-12-15T11:51:23.493-05:002016-12-15T11:51:23.493-05:00IMHERE HOTCAKE
ELEKTRA’s phone was RINGINGOFFTHE(...IMHERE HOTCAKE<br /><br />ELEKTRA’s phone was RINGINGOFFTHE(HOOK),<br />so AJAX could NOTIFY her BY(HOOK)ORBYCROOK<br />that MAGNETO, the BINGE drinker,<br />TIEd one on, (HOOK)LINEANDSINKER,<br />that CAT’s FREON bail ‘til the next ABJECT comic book.<br /><br />--- RICO RIGEL<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61409074240213816212016-11-11T20:44:54.266-05:002016-11-11T20:44:54.266-05:00When I was first HOOKed (that is, when I figured o...When I was first HOOKed (that is, when I figured out the first theme answer), I wrote the hook backwards, so that it wouldn't look like a J. I assumed that it would also be HOOK for the downs. Obviously, that didn't work out...so I had to make an inky mess of all the hook/Js.<br /><br />But ATOZ for "cover the waterfront" and XYZ affair?! To those, I can just say: WTF?Carl Siecherthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14645886909348906669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34600942951208490892016-11-11T12:35:50.577-05:002016-11-11T12:35:50.577-05:00Better late than never to say excellent puzzle.Better late than never to say excellent puzzle.Joseph Michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4930766828831142852016-11-11T01:30:45.470-05:002016-11-11T01:30:45.470-05:00@Evil D, as you may know, SLOW_LEAK is one of thos...@Evil D, as you may know, SLOW_LEAK is one of those colourful phrases heard more often in Urology clinics. Prostrating myself to make this reminder, I am. Really<br /><br />@GeoB, your 'Comey what may' was pretty sly. otoh, I didn't think the clue for OSHA was all that clever, as I'm more used to OSHA safety addressing people's not getting torn to bits than not getting infected. I've dealt with folks who'd had a run-in with a buzzsaw or a cornhopper or the power takeoff of a tractor, and believe me, gloves wouldn't have made a whit of difference. The latter, in particular, will pull you in by the Yin-YANG, if you're wearing loose clothing. The gloves&mask business kicked up several notches when HIV made the scene, and at first I felt pretty defensive about that when I went to the dentist. Came to change my mind when I realized the unexpected benefit of not having to spend the whole SESSion staring at someone's nose-hairs.<br /><br />FBI had me thinking of Langley <i>but</i> their location site says 'the Laboratory Division, Operational Technology Division and FBI Academy are all located in Quantico, Virginia'. A-Ha! <br /><br />@AliasZ, it's all well and good to recognize that Anonymous Lives Matter, but remember that Pretentious Lives Matter also. Back to the recommendations, please!! I spose I could hunt down the Faure on my own, but my half-ACRE yard is in such a state that it's taking all my spare time to restore lawn order.<br /><br />J&J playing hooky provided a lovely bandaid, and the commentariat wasn't too shabby either. Bless all y'all.Leapfingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14243620614139990887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50849544120192998482016-11-10T21:21:53.643-05:002016-11-10T21:21:53.643-05:00@Steve McIntyre - You've never seen a 21 gun s...@Steve McIntyre - You've never seen a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCOtmqSTCk0" rel="nofollow">21 gun salute</a>?Petenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54252206480190701742016-11-10T21:07:08.112-05:002016-11-10T21:07:08.112-05:00I thought it was a rebus puzzle so dutifully typed...I thought it was a rebus puzzle so dutifully typed "HOOK" in the 4 magic squares on the online puzzle. It wouldn't give it to me as solved, and I had no idea why, even though I got the J-ness of the crossing down clues. My time was excellent except for this snafu, which eventually forced me to Check the puzzle since I couldn't find what the "error" was.KevinDenelsbeckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15352119482423851245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89741261244656613112016-11-10T19:08:22.404-05:002016-11-10T19:08:22.404-05:00Another late solver who liked the puzzle but found...Another late solver who liked the puzzle but found it challenging, esp. the lower areas, despite getting the theme early on. BTW, wasnt Pres.Obama and Hillary Clinton gracious and civil in the aftermath of the election? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18600892013911668172016-11-10T18:54:38.940-05:002016-11-10T18:54:38.940-05:00Agree with chefbea. Dnf'd in the southeast. Di...Agree with chefbea. Dnf'd in the southeast. Didn't get beefalo either. Tough puz. Tough times. Chronic dnferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05129538196003383400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12297313864163182632016-11-10T17:43:07.124-05:002016-11-10T17:43:07.124-05:00@puzzlehoarder (5:21) -- There was a Dr. J in bask...@puzzlehoarder (5:21) -- There <i>was</i> a Dr. J in basketball, whose name was Julius Erving and I'm pretty sure he played for Philadelphia, though he may have gone to the Knicks or the Nets late in his career, I don't remember. But I don't think he had a "sky hook" or, if he did, he wasn't famous for it. The sky hook guy was a center, and I'm pretty sure it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who made it famous. (Unless I'm wrong and it was Wilt Chamberlain.) Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16737377749030219974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-802278493466211822016-11-10T17:21:20.915-05:002016-11-10T17:21:20.915-05:00Late to the party as I'm at the firehouse. Did... Late to the party as I'm at the firehouse. Did anyone else think that the puzzle's grid looks like a Keith Haring painting? This was mostly a normal Thursday with the exception of that SE corner. My poor spelling prevented me from reading the TRIX clue correctly. As an adjective or a common term it's corn-ball. Without that dash the clue is simply referring to balls made from corn. The XYZ A fair and that idiom in the 68A clue were complete unknowns. I actually questioned ERAT and RICO before getting the clue for 61A. ATOZ is a very common entry so that's quite a debut clue! Personally I think when a constructor dredges up something that obscure they should have to cite an actual usage of it. My suspicion is they're just pulling it off a computer list.<br /> It took me a little while to remember what Quantico was and I still had an CSI/FBI write over.<br /> @Nancy OSHA is a government agency which requires employers to provide their employees with safety equipment such as gloves.<br /> Somehow I spelled TENTER correctly. After finishing I had to look up exactly what a TENTERHOOK is.<br /> I'm probably mistaken but wasn't there a Dr J in basketball who was known for a "sky hook" shot?puzzle hoardernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43717535927698605872016-11-10T16:41:54.610-05:002016-11-10T16:41:54.610-05:00How come it's late afternoon and nobody's ...How come it's late afternoon and nobody's caught the blooper of the week at 48 down? SALVOs are fired together - salutes are NEVER fired together but must be one by one or the Chief Gunner is out of a job.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07243495500495941111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86177062404885007742016-11-10T16:32:08.223-05:002016-11-10T16:32:08.223-05:00Same stumpers for me. Never heard of the XYZ affa...Same stumpers for me. Never heard of the XYZ affair. Never heard of "cover the waterfront" meaning A-to-Z. OASAShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04855281344421285554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11666500214528920622016-11-10T16:29:21.236-05:002016-11-10T16:29:21.236-05:00Cover the waterfront v. skyey<a href="https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=cover+the+waterfront%2Cskyey&year_start=1920&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=10&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Ccover%20the%20waterfront%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cskyey%3B%2Cc0" rel="nofollow">Cover the waterfront v. skyey</a>Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56255711202330142132016-11-10T16:25:45.691-05:002016-11-10T16:25:45.691-05:00@kitshef - A link would have been nice.
@da kine...@kitshef - A link would have been nice. <br /><br />@da kine - Not to wreck a good rant, but I think you're thinking about the clue the wrong. There is this verb "esse," the conjugation of which includes "sum." Ergo, "the sum conjugation" is the conjugation of which sum is a part.* I'm just glad the puzzle wasn't looking for the 3rd person plural present tense because I'm sure we didn't cover "sint" in my one year of Latin back in 1975.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />*Yeah, I did it. I went all prescriptivist "of which" instead of the better descriptivist "part of."Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.com